


Without Lyrium

by WardenCommanderCousland



Series: The Light in the Shadow [4]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Minor Female Amell/Cullen Rutherford, Minor Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 05:12:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11937024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WardenCommanderCousland/pseuds/WardenCommanderCousland
Summary: "Without lyrium, they're worse."





	Without Lyrium

They assembled in the Harrowing Chamber. Knight-Commander Greagoir gave Cullen a knowing look. He remembered their earlier conversation, that Cullen would have to be the one to strike Solana Amell down if she didn’t resist the demon’s temptation.

Cullen knew one day the blade would be his own. But he also knew this wasn’t a show of faith, it was the strong hand of discipline. He’d left his affection for the mage unchecked, let the crush grow stronger.

First Enchanter Irving raised his hand and Solana Amell ascended the stairs into the Harrowing Chamber alone. As she brushed past him, Cullen tried to push aside the memory of her blonde hair twisting around his fingers as she kissed him.

The first few minutes of a Harrowing are always in silence as the mage enters the Fade and feels out the nature of the test. Cullen slipped his hand into the satchel at his hip, reassured by the touchstone of the glass vials that lay within. He was prepared.

Then one of the senior mages, Uldred, twisted his hand and Solana collapsed, convulsing on the floor. She’d lost, made the wrong choice.

It’s a mercy, Cullen reminded himself as he plunged his sword into her breast. The Maker will forgive them both, draw the still-pure mage to his side. Small, trite assurances as he watched the blood soak her robes.

Uldred laughed from behind him. Cullen whirled around, sword still dripping with Solana’s blood. The mage began to summon demons from the blood soaking the floor. Cullen reached into the pouch and grabbed a vial, but it was empty. So was the next, and the one after that. On his fourth attempt, he realized there were no more. He was trapped in the Harrowing Chamber with a blood mage and no lyrium to bring his powers to the fore. Wraiths were circling in around him. The Harrowing Chamber began filling with an other-worldly red glow.

“See what happens when you let them roam free?” Knight-Commander Meredith’s snarl came from where Greagoir had originally stood. She was glowing, lyrium-mad, and her sword was completely encapsulated in red lyrium. She raised her sword, aiming to strike Uldred, but her swing missed and broadsided an elf. Inquisitor Lavellan was flung backwards into Cullen’s arms, as cold and raw as the day they escaped Haven. The Knight-Commander stalked toward them, sweeping strikes through the air with every step. Cullen grabbed the Inquisitor and staggered backward, feeling with his feet for the stairs. They had vanished. 

The wraiths closed in upon them and it was all he could do to fight them back. Lavellan hung lifeless in his arm. Knight-Commander Meredith drew ever nearer.

“Leave me!” Cullen cried as he held the frozen elf. Covering the Inquisitor with his shield, he raised his sword to meet Meredith’s next strike, sending the sword and her shattering into a crystal rain.

His eyes flew open. Adair Lavellan was leaning over him, her hand on his shoulder. The sunlight streaming behind her made her look as though she had a Maker-given glow. She was fully dressed.

“Bad dream?” she asked, reaching to stroke the stubble on Cullen’s face.

He took a deep breath and leaned back into the pillow. “Without lyrium, they’re worse.”

She smiled and kissed him. “Well, is it at least a good morning?”

“The best,”

She paused, still smiling. “I love you.”

And with that, she climbed off the bed and slid down the ladder into Cullen's study.


End file.
